(Lecture 4) Discrete Probability Distributions
(Lecture 4) Discrete Probability Distributions
Abdur Rasheed
Visiting Faculty IoBM
Discrete
distributions
Random Variable
I) 0 P(X) 1
ii) P(X) = 1
Mean, Variance and Standard Deviation of Discrete
Distribution
Standard Deviation
During one holiday season, the Texas lottery played a game called the stocking
stuffer. With this game, total instant winnings of $34.8 million were available in
70 million $1 tickets, with ticket prizes ranging from $1 to $1,000. Shown here
are the various prizes and the probability of winning each prize. Use these data
to compute the expected value, variance and standard deviation of the game.
For example, suppose we roll a dice one time. If we let x denote the
number that the dice lands on, then the probability density function for
the outcome can be described as follows:
P(x = 1) : 1/6
P(x = 2) : 1/6
P(x = 3) : 1/6
Cumulative Density Functions
Binomial
distribution
Bernoulli trials
𝑛 𝑥
𝑃 𝑋=𝑥 =𝑃 𝑋 = 𝑃 (1 − 𝑃)𝑛−𝑥
𝑥
The number of trials (n) is 10
The chances of success (“tossing a heads”) is 0.5
(1-p = 0.5)
No of success x = 6
10
𝑃 𝑋=6 =𝑃 𝑋 = 0.56 (1 − 0.5)10−6
6
𝑃 𝑋 = 6 = 0.205078
80% of people who purchase pet insurance are women. If
9 pet insurance owners are randomly selected, find the
probability that exactly 6 are women.
𝑃 𝑋 = 6 = 0.176
Example
P(X=4) = 0.11
Example
It is known that in 35% of accidents involving motorcycles,
the rider dies. On a day when 10 such accidents are reported,
what is the probability
(i) 2 riders die?
(ii) At least 3 riders die?
At least 3 riders die = P(D3) = ?
P(D≤2)= 0.26
P(D3) = 1- P(D ≤ 2)
P(D3) = 1- 0.26
P(D3) = 0.74
a) At least 10 survive
b) From 3 to 8 survive
c) Exactly 5 survive
An increasing number of consumers believe they have to look out for
themselves in the marketplace. According to a survey conducted by
Yankelovich Partners for USA WEEKEND magazine, 60% of all consumers have
called an 800 or 900 telephone number for information about some product.
Suppose a random sample of 20 consumers is contacted an interviewed about
their buying habits.
What is the probability that fever than 5 of these consumers have called on
800 or 900 telephone number for information about some product?
What is the probability that more than 17 of these consumers have called on
800 or 900 telephone number for information about some product?
e
− x
p ( x) = x = 0,1, 2,3,.. ..
x!
is the shape parameter which indicates the
average number of events in the given time
interval.
Some events are rather rare - they don't
happen that often. For instance, car
accidents are the exception rather than the
rule. Still, over a period of time, we can say
something about the nature of rare events.
Death of infants
The number of misprints in a book
The number of customers arriving
Example
Arrivals at hospital follow a Poisson
distribution with an average of 4.5
every quarter of an hour.
Calculate the probability of less than
3 arrivals in a quarter of an hour.
P( X < 3 ) = P( X ≤ 2)
Calculation of probability of less than 3 arrivals in a quarter of an hour.
P( X < 3 ) = P( X ≤ 2) CDF will be used
The probability of less than 3 arrivals in a quarter
of an hour is
Suppose a purchaser of these pens will quit buying from the company
if a carton contains more than three defective pens. What is the
probability that a carton contains more then three defective pens?
Thank you